Slices of Life
by MoonBearBriar
Summary: After a long day at work Xahnis comes homes to find his bondmate is still holding ill feelings towards his recent life choices. Just having some fun playing around with OC characters in the Mass Effect universe. Male Turian/ Female Human.


Xahnis walked back into his house to see his mother sitting down at the kitchen table with her sewing machine working on a light yellow dress. Her deep brown eyes stayed intently focused on the task at hand, not even bothering to glance over as he entered. His eyes scanned into the living room but he did not see Holly anywhere. She couldn't possibly still be angry with him! The long drawn out hum that left his mothers throat assured him that apparently it was possible.

"She's out in the field." She answered her son's silent question while adjusting the dresses yellow fabric. Her orange markings that trailed back along her fringe shown brightly against her pale coloring, "Did you change your mind?"

"No I didn't change my mind." Xahnis' throat grumbled while his mandibles pressed tightly against his face. She looked up to him with a pause.

"Then she has every right to still be upset." Her voice spoke in a matter of fact tone.

"Mother." He grumbled.

"Xahnis, how do you think she is going to be able to survive there?" Her eyes challenged him.

"I will be there with her." He defended her gaze while straightening his posture.

"But not every single moment of the day. You know very well how shy she is, imagine how scary this will be for her."

"How could you even suggest that I have not thought about her!? About how she would feel?" His body tensed as his sub-vocals radiated deeply through his chest. This was his bond-mate she was talking about! There was never a moment Holly was not on his mind!

"You're actions are speaking else wise." Her brow plate lifted before turning back to work on sewing the small dress that was obviously for Holly. A snarl of disbelief escaped his lips at her action.

He truly was blessed that when he brought Holly home after the wars that his mother had accepted her into their lives, without even a second thought no less! By no means was he ungrateful, it was just their tag teaming against him that drove him mad.

"I'm stepping away from the war front, I'm doing that for her." His eyes narrowed towards his mother.

"But you don't have to travel half way across the galaxy to a floating can to do so." Her voice calmly retorted while her sub-vocals graveled with disagreement.

Xahnis couldn't bare to argue with her any longer. He sharply turned on heal stomping out of the house allowing the door to slam roughly behind him. His long stride took him around to the side of the house that faced a large field filled with amber tall grasses. He could see Holly's form planted in it with her back facing him, his suspicion on where she would be had been accurate.

"Holly!" He called out to her as he made his way over while the sun highlighted his sienna brown coloring. Xahnis' brow plate narrowed into his eyes when she did not even budge at his voice. Damn it all, he was hoping after being away for the day at work it would have given her time to see that this was a great next step for both of them… instead it appear she had spent the day dwelling on how inconsiderate he was being with his mother.

His long legs glided easily through the tall golden grass till he reached his wife. Her ashy blond hair shifted in the light wind from under the braid that tied it out of her face.

"Holly." He calmed the tone of his voice while his sub-vocals pleaded to her. He wanted her to at the very least look at him, acknowledge his existence… something!

"Holly, please, look at me."

After a moment she stood up continuing to face him with her back before walking off deeper into the field. A low grumble of irritation radiated from his chest queuing her to lift up a single hand in the air signing to him to go away.

"No, I'm not going away." His voice growled before he quickly walked after her, "We need to talk."

She lowered her hand proceeding to ignore him once more while she continued to maintain a distance between them.

"This move is going to be good for both of us!" He worked to control the temper of his voice, "The Citadel is like the center hub of the galaxy, and there will be so many new people to meet and things to see!" Xahnis watched as his mate's right hand lifted into the air once again while she continued to trod her way through the tall grass.

* I don't want to meet new people.* She signed.

"Of course you don't." He sub-vocals vibrated with irritations, "Why take the time to meet people when you can just happily rot away in the middle of no where?"

That had done it. Instantly Holly's movement ceased as she stiffly turned around to face Xahnis. Her brow was fiercely narrowed while the red swollen skin around her eyes had shown she had been crying for most of the day. Xahnis' heart dropped forcing him to stop in his tracks at her sight. Spirits, had she really been crying all day?

*I am happy, not rotting!* she quickly signed to him with her hands, * You are not rotting either!*

"Not yet!" Her accusation quickly snapped him out of any sympathy he was feeling. "I will be though if I stay here!" he threw an arm out in front of himself, "I'm leaving the military for you, but I am an engineer I need to work around ships. Do you see any ships on this farm Holly?" Xahnis looked around him self in an act to further cement his point.

*There is ships on Palaven.* She signed smartly at him with a raised chin.

"An hour away." He growled.

*That is no different from going to work now.* Holly watched him intently with her light hazel eyes.

"And you think I enjoy that?" Xahnis was quick to scoff at her remark, "Oh yes there is nothing that I love more than waking up two hours before I have to show up for work, before the sun has ever risen into the fucking sky, only to be exhausted at the end of the day and have to drive an hour back while trying to fight falling asleep at the wheel."

Holly's mouth pursed tightly shut at his words thinning her normally full lips into a small line. She could feel the warm liquid of tears beginning to rise into her eyes once more while she tried feverishly to fight back the shakes that wanted to envelope her form.

"I do that because of you." His voice lowered while still maintaining a tense demeanor. "It's true I don't enjoy it, but I didn't mind doing it if that is what it took for you to feel safe. You know I would do anything for you." Xahnis' voice gradually began to soften while the distance between them maintained in the large field. Neither of them moved while the silence of the wind pulled at the long blades of grass surrounding them.

"It's been a year though since the Reapers Holly, we both need to move on."

He watched her eyes as they began to glaze over with tears before she quickly turned away from him and restarted her trek across the field. With the wind tugging at her hair, her arms wrapped over her chest as her body began to shake at the anxiety that was once again beginning to over whelm her senses.

Xahnis quickly ran after her. He could see her try to pick up her pace in an attempt to escape him, but his long legs allowed him to move easily in the tall grass leaving her helpless to his advance.

Immediately, Holly struggled as his arms wrapped around her waist lifting her up from the ground. Xahnis tired to hold her still as her legs flared out in her struggle. One elbow after the other flared back against him forcing him to release her with one arm in order to pin hers down to her sides. She could hear the sub-vocals that were vibrating from his chest as he struggled against her. They were not irritated or angry but instead calming, and loving. Her eyes widened as Xahnis dropped them both do the ground, pulling her into his lap as his legs bent up to secure her position. She couldn't stop her body from shaking as the tears finally flooded once more from her eyes and down her cheeks.

Xahnis' head tucked down next to hers. With a caressing rumbled from within, his mandibles rubbed gently against her cheek

"My love." He cooed tightening his embrace to further press her against his chest. "My beautiful, beautiful love." Xahnis rubbed his face into her neck while she continues to shake in his arms. Once again, her fears and anxiety were getting the best of her.

Holly shook her head feverishly side to side as Xahnis began to nip tenderly at her skin. He could feel her try to pull away from him, but he held her firmly in place.

"No." his voice deeply graveled, "I'm not letting you go. I'm never letting you go Holly."

Her eyes closed tightly while tears proceeded to run down onto her frowned lips while her head fell back helplessly against his chest.

"You have to come with me." His cheek leaned against hers responding to her unspoken words, "I'm no good without you." At the shift of her arms, he loosened his embrace allowing Holly to lift her hands up and hold his face. Xahnis purred with approval at her gentle touch that caressed around his jaw. He watched as her hands lowered reading the signs she was creating with them.

*Sometimes I feel you would be better without me.*

His eyes instantly narrowed at her hands,

"Don't you dare think such things." Xahnis' arms tightened around her while his lowered voice as though her words had the potential to make her disappear.

*You see, I'm holding you back.*

"From being uninhibitedly reckless yes." He would be the first one to admit he was a wild card of a wreck before he found Holly. The sheer number of ridiculous risks he took on the battlefield and off before her was nearly embarrassing. He held no regard for his own safety or well-being.

Holly shifted in his lap, turning to face him while draping her legs over his left thigh.

* I can't stop feeling scared, I try but I cant'.* Her hands quivered in their movement.

"I know." He pressed his head down against her forehead, "That is okay. I know it will be hard but…. I need you to do this for me...for us."

Holly's eyes stared deeply into his eyes as though she was reading his thoughts through the swirls of his irises. She could see how much he desired to go, to leave and experience some place new. He was an adventurer; she knew that. She knew better than anyone how much he had already sacrificed to be with her, to maintain their relationship. It was hard to fight the nausea that was building within her at each new anxiety ridden thought, but she had to. She had to do this for him.

Holly watched as his mandibles flexed softly into a smile. He could see she had come into agreement with their move. He buried his face into her chest while giving her a tight squeeze.

"Thank you." His breath released with closed eyes "Thank you. I've already put in applications to apartments I think you will really like." Xahnis lifted his head back up so he could see her face. Holly wiped her eyes with the back of her hand as he continued to talk.

"They are in quieter areas I thought wouldn't seem as claustrophobic or overwhelming." His mandibles flared proudly hoping to have pleased her. She released a soft smile causing a satisfied rumble to vibrate from his throat.

"There is also a botanical garden there we can go too that is supposed to be one of the best."

It was easy for Holly to see how excited he was about moving there. When Xahnis spoke it lit up his face making his orange markings come across even brighter.

*Can we get plants for the apartment?* Holly signed gently catching his gaze.

"Of course." He purred rubbing his head plate against her forehead causing a smile to broaden her lips with a sniffle of her nose, "Is there anything else you would like for the apartment?" His clawed thumb brushed loose strands of her hair back behind her ear. Xahnis tilted his head admiring his mate while her eyes shifted away in thought. Holly's heart shaped face was soft and gentle with full cheeks that never failed to accent her smile.

*A sewing machine?* She looked back to him with questioning eyes. It was a skill she had quickly picked up from spending time with his mother. He had figured that would be something she would want.

"Well you do have a birthday coming up…" Xahnis turned his head off to the side, his mandibles flicking up with a smirk reflected in his eyes. His eyes momentarily widened as Holly's sudden and forceful embrace around his neck pushed his back to the ground. She straddled his waist causing him to chuckle while she planted soft kisses up and down his face revealing her happiness. Xahnis' hands went to her waist while she leaned over him with her hands resting on either side of his head. Her eyes trailed over his strong and angled features. The few scars that lined the left side of his jaw back to his fringe stood out against his sienna brown color. She had never asked about them and he never brought it up, but she assumed it was from some dare devil action of his on the battlefield that did not end up going as smoothly as he intended. It was nice not having to worry about if he was going to make it home in one piece any more. Holly knew how much he enjoyed being on the front line of action so that was one thing she truly was grateful for.

Leaning back down towards him, she pressing her lips against his mouth. Xahnis' sub-vocals released an approving purr while he returned the kiss deeply.

"You don't need to apologize." He responded once she broke the kiss. After being with her for a year he had become rather skilled at reading her thoughts through her eyes without her ever having to sign a word to him. Holly loved that about him. It made her feel less abnormal.

"I know this is a huge step, but we will work through this together."

Holly released a nod with a sigh at his words before lying to rest her head on his chest. Xahnis wrapped his arms around her while his gaze drifted up to the sky. It would be a lie to say he wasn't nervous about this at all. He was, but he was equally as excited. Alone he would have probably never even considered making such a move but with Holly at his side she was all the support he could need and more. This was a good thing. This was going to be a great thing.


End file.
